Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:26:48-4:27:42

How small should a nuclear-powered escort be?

A Type 26-sized frigate is suggested as the lower practical limit, while cost and the exposed ASW picket role argue for cheaper propulsion.

Anti-Submarine WarfareFrigatesNuclear PropulsionType 26 Frigate
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Question

What is the smallest ship that could use a small modular reactor, and could a carrier group include nuclear-powered frigates?

Short answer

A Type 26-sized hull is about the smallest proposed, but nuclear power is a doubtful fit for a relatively affordable ASW picket.

Notes

A Type 26-sized frigate is about the smallest hull proposed for nuclear propulsion. Frigates often serve as exposed anti-submarine pickets, which makes an expensive reactor a questionable fit for their role. A fleet still needs comparatively affordable escorts that can take on this work. Nuclear-powered frigates remain possible in this assessment, but fitting a reactor into a small hull does not by itself make the ship a sensible investment.